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Monday, July 04, 2005

Body and Soul

Our bodies are only one part of who we are as humans. Medicine, before the separation of “science and religion” was not only about the body, but included the psycho-spiritual make up of humans. This was not only true in the Islamic tradition, but also in traditional herbal medicine of Native Americans, and even Europeans who included prayer and “ritual” as part of the healing process.

These days, conventional/allopathic medical doctors are re-discovering the wheel and recognizing the “power” of prayer - nothing surprising, or “new” - but for those of us who may have bought into the techonological/scientific society lock stock and barrel - it might do us some good to begin re-membering. For those of you in the New York City area, there is a conference on Body and Soul, including Muslim healers and conventional medical physicians - that sounds like it would be well worth attending.

Events will take place at the Hammer Health Science Building HSC 301 atColumbia University Medical Center in Manhattan, New York City.

Hakim Archuletta has worked within the healing arts profession for over 30years. His interest in medicine and natural health and the study of God’sCreation began as a child. His first formal studies were in the Fine Artswhich he studied in the 60’s in Berkeley where his expertise ranged fromgraphic arts to theater, cinema and ethnomusicology. He studied homeopathyand apprenticed with Dr. John Damonte in London in the early 70’s. Hecontinued these studies in Berkeley apprenticing with homeopathic doctorsand working with the first Homeopathic Study group there. He continued hisstudies in the Middle East, England and North Africa in the mid 70’s.

In 1978, he travelled to Pakistan at the invitation of Hakim Mohammad Saidof the Hamdard Foundation and studied there with various Hakims(traditional Islamic doctors) supported by grants from the Bawani Trust.His main teacher was Hakim Taqiuddin Ahmad at the Nizami Dawakhana, wherehe learned Pharmacy in the Unani tradition. There he earned the title of“Hakim”.

Returning to the Americas in 1980, he began teaching students privatelyand established a family practice clinic in Santa Barbara California. Hehas conducted and taught study groups for homeopathy in Santa Barbara,California, Taos, Abiquiu, and Los Alamos, New Mexico for professional andlay persons. He began extensive work as counselor, consultant andHakim/Homeopath in Abiquiu, New Mexico and by traveling nationally forover ten years. This also included workshops on communication andcommunity consensus building including special focus on youth. He workedwith young people for many years and taught science on a high school levelfor six years in a very “hands on” method and worked on curriculum that isage appropriate and spiritually based in science for young people.

More recently he began to focus on trauma and was certified in the methodsof Dr. Peter Levine and others. Today he lectures and teaches classes andworkshops nationally. He has conducted workshops and lectured atUniversity of California Berkeley, Harvard, Wellesley, Stanford, UCLA,University of Houston and many others. He addressed and led the New MexicoState Congress in opening prayers after 9/11, writes, reads and organizespoetry readings. He has students and patients worldwide.

Ather Ali, N.D.

Dr. Ali is originally from California where he completed a B.S. inPsychobiology from UCLA. He then obtained a Doctorate in NaturopathicMedicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington and completed aresidency in Integrative Medicine from Griffin Hospital and the Universityof Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine. He is currently aPostdoctoral Research Fellow at the Yale Prevention Research Center, MPHcandidate at the Yale School of Public Health, and Clinical Faculty at theUniversity of Bridgeport.

Katey Cofrancesco, D.C. and Lou Cofrancesco, D.C.

Drs. Katey and Lou Cofrancesco have been in private family practice in theBethany/Woodbridge area for 13 years. They received their Doctorates inChiropractic from the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic in 1989. Kateyhas also studied yoga for over 15 years, and since 1999 has developed andtaught yoga based on her knowledge of spinal biomechanics. Lou’s interestin the healing arts began over two decades ago with a focus upon martialarts, natural foods and massage therapy. The Cofrancescos live in Bethanywith their three children.

Sumiya Khan, MS., R.D.

Sumiya is originally from California, where she completed a B.S. inCommunity Nutrition from the University of California at Davis. She earneda Masters degree in Clinical and Counseling Nutrition from BastyrUniversity, specializing in Natural Foods Nurition. Sumiya became aRegistered Dietitian after completing a Dietetic Internship at Sea MarCommunity Health Centers in Seattle. She currently works as a WIC ProgramNutritionist at the Naugatuck Valley Health District in Seymour, CT. Shelives with her husband, Ather Ali, in New Haven.

Saquib Lakhani, M.D.

Dr. Lakhani was born in Massachusetts and grew up in Virginia. He obtainedhis undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Virginiabefore completing a residency in pediatrics at Washington University-StLouis Children’s Hosptial. He then came to New Haven, and after finishingfellowship training has been working as an attending physician on thepediatric critical care faculty at Yale University.

Imam Dawood Ya Sin

Born in Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, Imam Dawood is the Imam of MasjidAl Islam in New Haven. He left his studies at Southern Connecticut StateUniversity in International Relations and Foreign Diplomacy after beinghired by Willhelmina Models of New York City in 1991. As a professionalmodel, he worked in London, Paris, New York City, and Milan. In 1996, ImamDawood embraced Islam during a modeling campaign in South Africa. Fromthere he began his training in Islamic studies traveling to Saudi Arabia,Pakistan and India. In 1997, he moved to Syria where he formally studiedthe Arabic language and Islamic Sciences for four years at the Abu NurInstitute. Imam Dawood returned to New Haven in 2002 where he lives withhis wife and children.

REGISTRATION:Pre-register at www.wisdommedicine.org by July 4, 2005.Saturday and Sunday: $25Single day: $15

Prices will increase to $35/both days, $20 single day after July 4.On site registration is available.